Nicholas r



UNITED STATES PATENT Urrrcn.

NICHOLAS RAPPLEYEA, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB- TO THE STEIN MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

COFFIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 296,782, dated April 15, 3.884.

Application filed April 27, 82. (No modclJ To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, NIcHoLAs RAPPLEYEA, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain 5 new and useful Improvements in Burial Cases or Gaskets, of which the following is aspecification.

The aimof this invention is to improve the appearance and provide for the more ecoro nomical manufacture of those caskets or cases which consist of a wooden or equivalent body covered by cloth or other fabric on the exterior.

To this end the invention has reference to the peculiar method of applying the cloth, by

r5 which I am enabled materially to reduce the amount of cloth required to cover a casket of given size, to greatly reduce the amount of labor necessary in the application of the covering, and to permit the employment of. un-

skilled labor in the place of the highly skilled and expensive labor hitherto required.

Theinv ention consists, briefly stated, in preparing the jacket or covering of cloth of a size somewhat smaller than the casket by sewing 2 5 .or stitching pieces of suitable form together,-

secured in place by nails or tacks.

was injured by the contact of the operators in the art as hand-holds.

hands, it was the practice to make the sections of a length considerably greater than actually required to cover the casket, the extensions at the ends forming what are technically known These ends, after the cloth was applied, were either removed as waste, or, if suffered to remain, covered by the application of the fabric at the ends. The usual practice is to apply the two sect-ions 5c of cloth at the sides of the casket, extending 1 them around. or upon the ends of the same and nailing them fast thereto, after which the end sections were applied to cover the extremities of the side sections, and nailed in placein like manner, their edges being turned under to give a finish, or the joint covered by means of ornamental trimming material. Under my improved system I am enabled to employ a quantity of fabric insufficient to cover the casket without being stretched. The sec tions out to proper form are stitched together at their edges, in such manner as to form an endless band or sack of such form and size that it may be stretched into place over the casket from the lower side, the casket being usually of diminished size at the base.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figures 1, 2, and 3 are views illustrating the ordinary method of applying the covering to a casket. Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 are views illustrating my improved method of constructing and applying the covering.

/ In proceeding to cover the casket in the .ordin-ary manner, the first step is to provide, as shown in Fig. 1, four pieces of cloth, A and B, the two side pieces, A, being made of a length greater than that of the casket. One of these pieces, being nailed to one end of the casket, is then stretched along its side and upon the op posite end, its end being grasped and stretched to apply the proper tension thereto, and while thus stretched nailed fast to the bod y, asshown in Fig. 2. The covering for the opposite side is then applied in like manner, after which the end pieces, 13, are applied and nailed in place over the ends of the side pieces, as represented in Fig. 3.

In proceeding to cover a casket in accordance with my invention, I provide either two pieces of fabric; as shown in Fig. 4, or four pieces, as shown in Fig. 5, of suitable width, and of such length that when joined end to end they will form an endless band or sack of a size insufficient to encircle the body of the casket.

The sections employed in carrying out my method may be made of a length considerably less than those employed in the ordinaryprocess, for the reason that it is unnecessary to. provide them with the extension or hand-holds ends, thus producing the finished sack or covat their ends. The sections, after being cut to their proper form, as before referred to, are stitched or sewed securely together at their ering, such as represented in Fig. 6. This sack is then applied by stretching over the casket and sliding it into position thereon, tacks, glue, or other means of fastening the I same in position being then applied. The result of the operation is a casket such as represented in Fig. 7,. having a smooth, finished exterior, presenting to the eye an appearance much more attractive than those covered in the ordinary manner.

In practice I find that by my method of ap plying the covering I am enabled to save on each casket of average size from one-eighth to one-fourth of a yard of covering material, and also to reduce the amount of time required to such an extent as to essentiallylessen the cost of construction.

One great advantage arising from the use of a covering such as herein described lies in the fact that there is no danger of the fabric being discolored or injured by the oxidation of the nails employed, as frequently happens with those caskets which are covered in the ordinary manner. I

I propose to manufacture endless casketcoverings such as herein described, and as represented in Fig. 6, and to place the same in the market as an article of trade.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. Thcherein-described method of covering burial cases or caskets with cloth, the same consisting in forming an endless band or sack of asize less than that of the casket, and stretching the same into position over the casket, as described.

2. As anew article of manufacture, a covering for a casket, consisting of an endless sack. or band open at the top and bottom, as described and shown.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a coffin having its body covered with cloth composed of two or more longitudinal sections having their ends stitched together,with the seam on their inner side.

NICHOLAS RAPPLEYEA.

\Vitnesses:

. J. S. SEXToN,

Geo. W. LOGAN. 

